Shriya reached for the door, fuming. It would be the first time she had ever failed a task. Her hand tightened around the doorknob — then a thought stopped her.
If you don't have any dirt… I'll just create some for you, she murmured, locking the door instead.
MK's sleep was disturbed when soft lips brushed against hers. Half-conscious, she tried to push whoever it was away, but her body was too weak to respond. She could feel everything — every touch, every breath — her body reacting against her will. A small gasp escaped her lips, sounding more like a moan than a protest.
"No… no… no…" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Shriya, determined to destroy MK's reputation, recorded the scene carefully — keeping herself out of the frame. She didn't need much; just enough for the camera to show MK's disoriented gasps and movements. Anyone watching would assume what was happening.
After a few moments, Shriya stopped, unbuttoned MK's blouse slightly, and sent the short clip to her partners with a message:
> Can be used to show she's been cheating on her husband all along.
The message was brief, but its implications were devastating.
Shriya smiled faintly. "I'm sorry — nothing personal," she whispered. She hadn't intended to go beyond what was necessary, but as she looked at the woman on the bed, something in her faltered. She sighed — and gave in.
"Please… stop," MK murmured as she felt a hand wander too far. She tried to resist, holding Shriya's wrist weakly, but her strength failed her.
Shriya, caught up in the moment, didn't realize her mistake until it was too late.
"How…?" she gasped, pulling away as if burned.
"No. It can't be," her mind screamed. She looked at MK lying unconscious on the bed, and guilt clawed at her chest. But she's married. Her thoughts spiraled.
In panic, she grabbed her phone and called her partners.
"Peach, don't send the video!" she shouted.
"Why? I already did," came the casual reply — words that hit her like a slap.
"She's never cheated on him," Shriya said softly, more to herself than to Peach.
"What? How do you know?" Peach asked, her tone suddenly alert.
"Because she is … she was…" Shriya couldn't finish. Her voice broke. She needed to fix this — to salvage what little dignity MK had left.
She hung up and immediately called their boss. "Sir, about the video—"
"Shriya, you're a genius," the deep voice interrupted, laced with amusement. "The client paid double for that clip."
Her hand went slack. The phone slipped from her fingers and hit the floor. For the first time, Shriya felt helpless. She turned to look at MK again — the woman she had just ruined — and her throat tightened.
"I'm sorry," she whispered before leaving the room.
---
MK woke later than usual. Her head throbbed painfully.
"Ugh, my head," she groaned, reaching for her bag to find painkillers. Her hand froze — her clothes were gone. She looked down at herself, bewildered.
"What in the…?" she breathed. "What happened?"
Flashes of the night before came in fragments — a soft touch, a hand, her own weak protests. And then—
"Nooo!" she screamed when she noticed the stained bedsheets. Her hands trembled. "Someone… someone took my innocence…"
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she fumbled for her phone. She needed to call Rebecca — to cancel everything, to find time to take everything in.
But before she could, a notification popped up.
> "The CEO of Starlight Company, Mike Lewis, cleared of wrongdoing as new evidence explains his actions."
MK froze. Her finger hovered over the screen as she scrolled.
A video played — her video.
> "Footage of the CEO's wife caught cheating released last night," the report read. "Mike Lewis expressed deep disappointment upon learning of his wife's infidelity. He claimed he was drugged by a woman at the club, which led to his lapse in judgment. He stated he had called his secretary for help but lost control under the influence."
MK's vision blurred. "No… this can't be real. I'm dreaming."
But more headlines followed.
> "Rumors suggest the wife orchestrated the CEO's drugging after learning of his intent to file for divorce."
MK felt her heart stop.
"How could she—" she began, then froze. She was the "wife" the world was accusing. Everyone believed she was the villain.
Another update flashed on her screen:
> "The Starlight Company board has dismissed Michelle Kent from her position as Finance Manager, citing reputational damage and breach of conduct."
Her mouth hung open. "What…?"
It was already afternoon. Everything she had built — her marriage, her career, her dignity — had collapsed while she slept.
> "There is still no news on Michelle Kent's whereabouts," another report read.
MK hurled her phone at the wall. It shattered on impact.
"What an ungrateful bastard," she spat, thinking of Mike's smug face.how could he do this to her?.
She stumbled into the bathroom, tears spilling freely now. She didn't even know what she was crying for — her ungrateful husband, the stranger from last night, her ruined career, or the loss of her self-worth.
As the shower water ran over her body, the weight of it all broke her completely. No one would believe her. How could she explain the video? Who would believe that she was the victim, not the betrayer?
The pain coursing through her body was nothing compared to the ache in her chest — the ache of betrayal, shame, and helplessness.
And as she sank to the floor, sobbing under the shower's spray, one thought echoed in her mind — the thought of her mother's disappointment.
Memory of the woman she used to be, flooded her mind.